27-mile, six-town car chase leads to arrest of Somerville man

ELLSWORTH, Maine — After leading police on a 27-mile chase through six Hancock County towns early Wednesday morning, a Lincoln County man is being mentally evaluated and facing criminal charges, according to police.

The man’s girlfriend called the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department late Tuesday night to report he had driven off while suicidal and armed with a handgun, according to Ellsworth Police Officer Andrew Weatherbee.

Police later tracked David Hall, 52, of Somerville, after his cell phone was detected by communications towers in Brewer and then on Red Bridge Road in Ellsworth, Weatherbee said Wednesday morning.

Weatherbee spotted Hall’s vehicle on High Street around 12:30 a.m. and attempted to stop it, but Hall sped off, the officer said.

The ensuing chase led Weatherbee through six towns and eventually included seven total police officers in pursuit, including three from the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department and a Maine State Police trooper. Hall drove east in Hancock, came back into Ellsworth, and then headed north on Route 179 through Fletcher’s Landing, Waltham, Osborn, and into Mariaville before Hall stopped and surrendered peacefully to police, Weatherbee said. Overall, the entire chase lasted about 20 minutes, the officer said.

Hall was arrested on charges of eluding an officer and driving 30 mph or more above the posted speed limit, Weatherbee said. Top speeds during the chase reached 90 mph, he said.

Police had been told Hall likely was armed, which turned out to be the case, the officer said. Police confiscated a .454 Casull handgun from Hall, but he never brandished or fired the weapon during the incident, the officer said. Hall also had ammunition for the firearm, he said.

“It’s big,” Weatherbee said of the gun.

No one was injured during the chase, and no vehicles involved were damaged, he said.

Weatherbee said that because Hall had been reported to be suicidal, he was taken to Maine Coast Memorial Hospital for an evaluation. Hall was still being evaluated at the hospital later Wednesday morning, he said.